SAN DIEGO -- Many San Diego job seekers are getting into positions by getting out of the country.

Facing ugly local unemployment numbers and a tight labor market, a large number of San Diegans are going global, even if it's not for big money.

"I'm a little anxious because I don’t know what to expect," said Ocean Beach resident Natalie Rodriguez.

In a few weeks, Rodriguez will be teaching science in the African nation of Liberia as a member of the Peace Corps. She said she joined after her job as a chemist at a pharmaceutical company became uncertain.

"Many of my peers were laid off. I was concerned about a second and third wave of layoffs," said Rodriguez.

In Liberia, her housing will be provided, and she will earn a few hundred dollars a month and a $7,000 exit stipend.

"It was a chance to take control of my career development and combine it with my passion for science," Rodriguez told 10News.

Across the country, applications for the Peace Corps are up 18 percent. In San Diego, there is an even bigger surge at sites like San Diego State University, where 36 volunteers have been placed this year -- up 80 percent from last year.

"We've been flooded. There's been huge interest," said Christina Schoenau, program manager at TESOL Training International in Hillcrest.

At TESOL Training International, placements for those wanting to teach English abroad are up 50 percent.

"We have a lot of college students, business executives in the financial sector. We have a lot of unemployed teachers who aren't having any luck finding jobs," said Schoenau.

Rodriguez said her Peace Corps experience will give her the edge for certain government jobs when she seeks employment in the future.

"I hope the economy is better in two years," said Rodriguez.

Until then, there are several thousand available positions in the Peace Corps, thanks to an increase in the group's federal funding.